Drying-kiln



C. A. CUTLER.

DRYING KILN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26-. 191-8.

'1 ,841 ,B Patented June 1, 19%.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

C. A. CUTLER.

DRYING KILN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2fi, T918.

PatentedJune 1, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

pLlFFORD A. CUTLER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DRYING-KILN.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, CLIFFORD A. CUTLER, a citizen of the United States of America, anda resident'of Bufi'alo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Drying-Kiln, of which the following is a specification.

It is well known to those skilled in the art, that in order to properly dry lumber it is necessary that there shoul be a rapid circulation of air through the kiln and the lumber contained thereln, so that the air will be quickly passed through the lumber before it has a chance to lose its heat.

The principal object of my invention has been, therefore, to provide a kiln in which there shall be a vstrong and rapid circulation of air. This circulation of air is made substantially uniform throughout the kiln by providin a plurality of small fans.

Another o ject has been to provide a kiln in which the incoming cold air shall automatically balance the outgoing warm air,

and one in which, therefore, the cold air shall not enter in such a manner as to cause adiflerence in temperature in the lumber.

Another object has been to provide a kiln having means for the separation and with- 2. 2 of Fig. 1.

drawal from the kiln of the foul, moistureladen air contained therein.

Moreover, my kiln is so constructed that the heated air passing through the lumber gives off some of its heat to the incoming cold air as it is drawn downwardly through Figure 1 is. a fragmentary, sectional, plan view of my kiln, taken on line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional elevation of the kiln, taken on line lFi 3 is a transverse, sectional view of my k'llll, taken'on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. v Fig. .4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectionall view of the alr-contr'o valve, taken on line H of Fig. 2.

.Fi 5 is an enlarged, fra entary, sec

, tiona view, of one of the alr'inlet valves,

and is taken on line 5 of Fig. 2.

' y kiln comprises, preferably, two side walls 10 and a rear wall 11, each preferably Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11119 1, 1920,

Application filed August 26, 1918. Serial No. 251,407.

of brick or concrete construction. The front wall of the kiln is formed by a' curtain 9 suitable means (not shown) being provided for raising and lowering the curtain. 12 is the roof of the kiln which is supported, in

and each is provided with an air-inlet valve 19 (see Fig. 5). This valve is secured upon a pivotally mounted shaft 20, having a sprocket 21 attached thereto. A sprocket chain 22 passes over the sprocket 21 and has its ends secured to an operating wire 23. This wire is controlled manually by any suitable, well-known means, which does not form a part of this invention, and, therefore, is not shown. Each of these intakes 17 supplies air between the adjacent rafters, and the space 16 provides for the communication of all of the spaces between the rafters, so

that the air may readily circulate over the top of the ceiling 14. At each side of the ceiling and running longitudinally of the kiln is a longitudinal slot 24. An air-control.

drawings, only one is shown. The wires 29 are preferably crossed, so that the sprockets will be operated inreverse directions, thereby opening andclosing the 'valves25 in unison. The valve operating shaft at one side of the kiln is provided with anadditional sprocket which is connected with suitable,

manually operated means, whereby the aircontrol valves may be manually; controlled.

As the-operating sprocket wheel and manually operated means do not form a part of this invention, they are not shown.

30 is the floor of the kiln, which slopes downwardly toward the side walls 10, eX-

located some distance above and over the trough 32. A ventilator 34 is preferably provided at the upper end of the duct forincreasing the draft, of air through the same.

A plurality of I-beams 35 are provided for the support of the lumber, and they are arranged at each side of the kiln, thus leaving a clear space through the center thereof. Each of these I-beams is supported at its outer end by the side wall 10 and at its inner end by a post or abutment 36. These I- beams are arranged some distance above the floor 30 of the kiln so as to provide for the free circulation of air along the floor. The lumber when placed upon the supports 35 is preferably stacked as shown by the sectional view of Fig. 3. As here shown, the lumber is stacked with a V-shaped opening 37, tapering from the bottom of the pile upwardly, and with a space 38, adjacent each side wall, which is closed at the top by lumber on the top of the pile.

Beneath the I-beams 35 is arranged a plurality of small electric fans 39, which provide the circulation of air in my kiln.

These fans, as shown in Fig. 1 are arranged so as to direct the air from the front side of the kiln to the rear thereof and are inclined somewhat inwardly so as to draw the air from the center aisle and force it toward the side walls. Any desired number of these fans may be provided and their arrangement may be varied to suit conditions.

My kiln is provided with suitable heating means preferably'in the form of steam coils. A steam coil 40 is arranged within each of the spaces 38 and a steam coil 41 is arranged beneath each row of I-beams 35. These coils are, of course, connected with a suitable source of steam supply and are controlled manually in any well-known manner. A steam pipe 42, having perforations, extends lengthwise into the kiln, whereby additional moisture may be supplied to the lumber, if required.

After the lumber has been stacked in the kiln, as shown and described, and the steam turned on at the steam heating coils, the fans 39 are started. The air inlet valves 19 and the air-control valves 25 being partially open, the fans 39 will draw air through the intakes 17, through the longitudinal slots 24 in the top 1-1 of the kiln, and down through the center aisle provided between the stacks of lumber. It will be caught by the fans when it reaches this point and be forced backwardly and toward the side walls, over the steam coils and up the openings 37 and the spaces 38 with great velocity. The lumber is, of course, stacked so that there is a space between adjacent pieces and the air current will be forced in through between the lumber.

As the heated air is forced through the lumber, it takes up a good deal of the moisture in the lumber. If the air is not very moist it will be recirculated through the kiln by means of the fans; but if the air is foul and heavily moisture-laden, it will drop to the floor of the kiln and move downwardly along the inclined surface thereof, till the troughs 31 are reached. The general circulation of the air will carry this moisture-laden air along the troughs and into the end trough 32, whence it will be taken up the duct 33 and exhausted into the atmosphere. The air currents just above described are shown by the arrows in Fig. 3; and it will be seen that the heated air coming from the lumber will meet the incoming cold air and interchange some of its heat with this cold air. It is obvious that the valves 19 and 25 will be regulated so as to supply the proper quantities of fresh air to the kiln to replace the moisture-laden air exhausted therefrom.

If desired, the number and location of fans and steam coils may be varied at will to meet the conditions" required by the different kinds of lumber. These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims; and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiments herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a kiln having walls and a ceiling, of a plurality of supports arranged above the floor, air intakes. in the ceiling, means for providing a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the fioor and the supports, and an air exhaust duct, opening near the bottom of the kiln.

2. The combination with a kiln having walls, a ceiling and a false ceiling, of a plurality of supports arranged above the floor,

' air intakes in the ceiling, the false ceiling being formed with air openings, means for regulating the openings in the false ceiling, means for providing a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the ports being so arranged as to provide a clear central space in the kiln for the free passage of air therethrough, air intakes in the ceiling, means for providing a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the fioor and the supports, and an exhaust duct opening near the bottom of the kiln.

4. A kiln comprising side walls, a ceiling, a plurality of supports arranged above the floor, two stacks of lumber carried by the supports, the lumber being so piled as to provide a clear central space in the kiln and a clear space adjacent each side wall for the free circulation of air therethrough, means for providing a plurality of a11- blasts arranged in the space between the floorand the supports,'and an air exhaust duct opening near the bottom of the kiln.

5. The combination, with a kiln having walls and a ceiling, of a plurality of supports arranged above the floor, air intakes in the ceiling, means for providing a plurality of air'blasts arranged in the space between the floor and the supports, an air exhaust duct opening near the bottom of'the kiln, and heating means arranged near the bottom of the kiln.

.6. The combination, with a kiln having walls and aceiling, of a plurality of supports arranged above the floor, air intakes in the ceiling, means for providing a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the floor and the supports, an air exhaust duct opening near the bottom of the kiln, and heating means arranged near the side walls of the kiln.-

7. A kiln comprising side walls, a ceiling, a plurality of supports arranged above 1 the floor, two stacks of lumber carried by the supports, thelumber being so piled as to provide a clear central space in the kiln and a clear space adjacent each side wall for the free circulation of air therethrough, means for providing a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the floor and the supports, an air exhaust duct opening near the bottom of the kiln, and heating means arranged adjacent the lumber.

8. The combination, with a kiln having walls and a ceiling, of a plurality of supports arranged above the floor, air intakes in the ceiling, means for providing a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the floor and the supports, a longitudinal trough formed in the floor of the kiln and arranged adjacent each of the side walls, and an air exhaust duct opening near the bottom of the kiln.

9. The combination, with a kiln having Walls and a ceiling, of a plurality of sup ports arranged above the floor, a1r intakes in the ceiling, means for provlding a plurality of air blasts arranged in the space between the floor and the supports, a transverse trough adjacent the rear wall of the kiln, and an air exhaust duct located above and over the transverse tro'ugh.

10. The combination with a kiln having walls and a ceiling, of a plurality of supports arranged above the floor, air intakes in the ceilin means for providing a plurality of air %lasts arranged in the space between the fioor and the supports, a longitudinal trough provided in the floor of the kiln and arranged adjacent each of the side walls, a transverse trough adjacent the rear wall of the kiln connecting the longitudinal trough, and an exhaust duct located above and over the transverse trough.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

crrrronn A. curries. 

